Dropouts, Transfers and Failures from the Class of 1990: All Pennsylvania Public School Districts.

Anliot, Richard B.

This document summarizes droputs, transfers, and failures from the class of 1990 in Pennsylvania public schools. The total enrollment for Pennsylvania public schools in 1986-87 was 139,761, in 1987-88 was 133,449, in 1988-89 was 123,717, and in 1989-90 was 115,400. Over 40% of Black and Hispanic students who were in regular ninth-grade classes in Pennsylvania public schools in 1986-87 were not seniors when their classmates reached the 12th grade in 1989-90. The comparable attrition for White ninth-graders was 13%. Twelve percent of Black and 11% of Hispanic ninth-grade students withdrew before grade 10, compared to 3% of the White tenth-graders. The attrition rate for all ninth-graders was 21%. Of students who reached the 10th grade, 20% of the Blacks, 19% of the Hispanics, and 5% of the Whites did not move on with their classmates to the 11th grade. Of students who reached the 11th grade, 21% of the Blacks, 17% of the Hispanics, and 5% of the Whites did not become seniors with their classmates. There is substantial evidence that Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander students who did not continue to the next grade were far more likely than White students to drop out. These minority families were less likely to have the economic resources required to transfer their children to private or parochial high schools. There was no net exodus of these minority families from Pennsylvania. Grade repetition was found to be relatively infrequent occurrence in high school in Pennsylvania. Statistical data are presented in one table. (SLD)

Note: Data are derived from the Pennsylvania Department of Education's "Listing of Public School Enrollments by County, Administrative Unit, School, Grade and Race" for 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, and 1989-90.